Cheek-expanding pad.



No. 7|2`,354. Patented oct. 2a, |902.

` `1'. c. BEST.

CHEEK AEXPANIJING PAD,

(Applicatin med Nov. 1s, 190i.)

(No Model.)

Inyenz'ar.;

TH: nanars News co., vHoTo-Lern. wAsnmuTonpn. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS C. BEST, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

cHEi-:K-EXPANDING PAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 712,354, dated October 28, 1902.

Application led November 18, 1901. Serial No. 82,677. (No model.)

To all whom, it Wray concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. BEST, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residingr at Chicago,

in the county of Cook and State of Il-linois,`

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cheek-Expanding Pads, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new article of manufacture which I prefer to term a cheekexpanding pad, and particularly to the construction thereof, by which air may be confined in an efficient manner to accomplish the desired result, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

The principal object of the invention is to make a simple, economical, and efficient cheek-expanding pad adapted to be held within the mouth of hollow-cheeked individuals to distend the cheeks and remove the appearance of emaciation.

Further objects of the invention will appear from an examination of the drawings and the following description.

The invention consists principally in Aa cheek-distendingpad in which there is combined a plurality of air-chambers formed by flexible walls and provided with means for admitting air into each chamber independently, whereby the walls thereof may be independently distended.

The invention consists, further and finally, in the features, combinations, and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of my improved cheek-pad; Fig. 2, a plan sectional view thereof; Fig, 3, a longitudinal sectional view taken on line3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 a cross-sectional view taken on line 4 of Fig. 2.

In constructing a pad in accordance with these improvements I make two inclosing walls-one an inner wall a and an outer Wall b-of expansible material, preferably indiarubber, of the desired thickness and exibility. The inner wall a, being the one intended to rest next to the teeth of the wearer, is made dat, while the outer wall, being intended to rest in contact with the cheek of the wearer, is made normally of a curved shape. I prefer to make these walls integral with each other and of the same iiexible material. The inner wall should be made somewhat thicker than the outer wall, as it is not desirable that it should be expanded to the same extent.

These pads are made of a shape to fit the space" between the cheek and the jaw and have portions f that it between the upper lip and the upper set of teeth.

It is desirable that certain portions of the outer wall be distended in a greaterdegree than others in order to produce the desired conformation thereof. To provide means for accomplishing this purpose, I make a plurality of inner connecting dividing-walls c c c, preferably integral with the inclosing walls `and of similar flexible material, which act to divide the pad into separate air-tight chambers d d d. For each chamber I prefer to provide a valve e, adapted to admit air thereto and prevent its escape therefrom. It will thus be seen that when it is desired to increase the l dimensions of the pad at a point over any one of the chambers it is only necessary to force sufficient air into such chamber to produce the desired distention of the outer wall at that point, and in order to reduce the dimensions of a given portion of the pad it is only necessary to open the valve communicating with the chamber within such portion and permit a sufficient amount of air to escape therefrom to produce the desired contraction of the y'corresponding portion of the outer wall. The valves employed to admit air to the respective chambers may be of any wellknown variety adapted to lbe arranged iush with the outer surface of the pad, and I prefer to use the ordinary type, which may be described as split-rubber valves, as shown in the drawings, but which it is not deemed necessary to describe herein. In certain cases it will be understood, however, that these valves may be dispensed with.

I claiml. As a new article of manufacture, an expansible cheek-pad comprising dexible inclosing walls forming a plurality of air-chambers, substantially as described.

2. As a new article of manufacture, an expansible cheek-pad comprising flexible inclosing Walls forming a plurality of air-chambers IOO and means for admitting air to each chamber, substantially as described.

3. As a new article of manufacture, an expansible cheek-pad comprising flexible inclosing walls, a plurality of integral flexible inner dividing-walls providing a plurality of independent chambers, and means for admitting air into each chamber, substantially as described.

4. As a new article of manufacture, an eX- pansible cheek pad comprising iuclosing walls, a plurality of integral dividing-walls of iiexible material connecting the inclosing walls together and providing a plurality of separate chambers, and a valve for each chamber adapted to admit air thereto and prevent THOMAS C. BEST.'

Witnesses:

THOMAS F. SHERIDAN, HARRY IRWIN CROMER. 

